Housing is A Human Right

Floor Speech

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Mr. BOWMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for her leadership, and I thank her for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I am telling America, the rent is too damn high. I repeat, the rent is too damn high. It remains too damn high for the majority of Americans.

We believe very strongly that housing is a human right. Every single person in our country should have access to affordable housing--housing that is truly affordable.

If you work full time in our country, you should be able to afford clean, respectful, dignified, adequate housing. No American should spend more than 20 percent of their salary toward rent and/or mortgages.

In my district, you have people paying 30, 40, 50, 60, even 70 percent of their salaries toward rent. How can you afford transportation? How can you afford childcare? How can you afford education or to get your child tutoring or to take additional courses for yourself? How can you afford to put your child in martial arts or science or arts or music programs when the majority of your money is going toward rent?

In Westchester County where the majority of my district resides, you need to make $40 an hour to afford a modest two-bedroom apartment. That means you will be working 2.6 minimum wage jobs, and you will not have discretionary income. You will not have an exemplary quality of life, which should be the goal of this Congress; to make sure that everyone in our country has their basic needs met, beginning with housing.

President Biden recently announced a rent cap in properties that use the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit. That is a huge help for millions of Americans. We thank President Biden--huge shout-out to him. But we need for the President to go further and regulate rent across the country. He should use his authority to cap rent at any property with a federally backed mortgage, which Senator Warren and I have joined tenant leaders in proposing.

I want to give a huge shout-out to community voices heard who are organizing for tenants in Yonkers, in the Bronx, and all throughout Westchester County. I want to give a huge shout-out to Evelyn Santiago, who is organizing for tenants in White Plains, and throughout Westchester County. I want to give a shout-out to Jeanette Garcia who is working and organizing with United Yonkers for tenants' rights.

As development goes up, we have to make sure rent remains truly affordable for the working class. We should not be allowing the displacement or the gentrification of the most vulnerable in our communities. I want to give a huge shout-out to Westhab. We have worked very closely with them to give them millions of dollars to build and sustain affordable housing for seniors and others in Yonkers and in places all over the county and the district.

We need a Green New Deal for public housing. We have to rebuild our public housing stock. The Federal Government has disinvested in public housing for decades, and over the last 10 years there has not been a dime given to public housing. We need new public social housing in alignment with our climate goals.

We also need to support Representative Omar's bill, the Housing for All Act, to invest a trillion dollars over the next 10 years to make sure that everyone has a home.

For those who are unhoused and may need supportive housing, we need to build that, too.

America used to be the country of big ideas, but we need to make sure we implement these big ideas for marginalized people and marginalized communities because housing is a human right, and the rent is too damn high.

We still have so many people in our country, millions, not just unemployed, but underemployed--under employed.

Housing costs are through the roof. Food costs are through the roof. Utilities costs--``Ay, Dios mio''; ``Oh, my God''--are through the roof. People can't afford childcare.

We are creating a permanent underclass because we do not have a bold vision as a United States Congress. The only way our democracy is going to work for everyone is if we focus on equity. Step one is to focus on equity to make sure everyone has a clean, dignified, respectful, clean energy home. That should be our goal. That should be our mission.

I thank Representative Ramirez for her leadership and vision for housing in our country. Her leadership in Chicago and all throughout the State of Illinois and our country is astounding. She inspires women across this country. She inspires Latinas across this country. She inspires people of color across this country. She inspires me.

I am a sophomore Representative, and she is a freshman. I look up to her and ask her to please continue to share her bold vision with the people of America.

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